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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 22 April 1996
ENVIRONMENT
Vehicle Batteries
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many car and other vehicle batteries are recycled or safely reclaimed each year. [25751]
Mr. Clappison: Information on the precise number and weight of automotive--lead-acid--batteries recycled or reclaimed is not held centrally.
However, it is known that the vast majority of used lead-acid batteries are recycled at three plants in the UK. The industry is committed to achieving a minimum 90 per cent. recycling target for lead batteries.
Fluorescent Lighting Tubes
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the method recommended by his Department for the safe disposal of fluorescent lighting tubes. [25747]
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Mr. Clappison: Fluorescent tubes must be managed and disposed of in accordance with sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Department does not recommend a particular form of disposal, but the waste management licensing regime ensures that such activities are carried out in a manner that does not harm human health or cause environmental damage.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost of safe disposal of a fluorescent lighting tube. [25744]
Mr. Clappison: The cost of disposal of fluorescent light tubes depends on the type of facility for disposal, the quantity that is disposed of at any one time and the distance they must be transported to reach the disposal facility. Central Government do not compile such information.
Water Bills
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average water bill in each household by region for 1996-97; what were the equivalent figures in each of the last five years; and what have been the percentage changes in each case. [24928]
Mr. Clappison: The following table provides details of the average unmeasured household water and sewerage bill for the 10 privatised water and sewerage companies for 1996-97 and the equivalent figures for each year from 1991-292 to 1995-96. The figures in brackets show the annual percentage change.
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| (1)1996-97 | 1995-96 | 1994-95 | 1993-94 | 1992-93 | 1991-92 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | Per cent. | £ | Per cent. | £ | Per cent. | £ | Per cent. | £ | Per cent. | £ | Per cent. | |
| Anglian | 285 | (3.6) | 276 | (2.0) | 270 | (5.9) | 255 | (5.4) | 242 | (6.0) | 228 | (5.4) |
| Northumbrian | 204 | (2.1) | 200 | (4.1) | 192 | (8.1) | 178 | (6.2) | 167 | (5.0) | 159 | (6.5) |
| North West | 196 | (4.4) | 188 | (0.6) | 187 | (5.9) | 176 | (6.1) | 166 | (4.2) | 159 | (4.5) |
| Severn Trent | 187 | (0.3) | 186 | (0.9) | 184 | (8.6) | 170 | (4.2) | 163 | (5.2) | 155 | (4.3) |
| Southern | 221 | (3.8) | 213 | (4.7) | 203 | (6.5) | 191 | (2.4) | 186 | (2.8) | 181 | (6.9) |
| South West | 325 | (1.2) | 321 | (2.6) | 313 | (12.7) | 278 | (13.7) | 244 | (13.8) | 215 | (6.6) |
| Thames | 176 | (2.1) | 172 | (3.2) | 167 | (5.4) | 158 | (5.4) | 150 | (4.0) | 144 | (4.4) |
| Welsh | 257 | (-2.7 | 264 | (0.5) | 263 | (6.5) | 247 | (5.9) | 233 | (6.8) | 218 | (5.9) |
| Wessex | 238 | (0.8) | 236 | (2.4) | 230 | (6.2) | 217 | (6.2) | 205 | (3.7) | 197 | (4.6) |
| Yorkshire | 212 | (7.7) | 197 | (-0.2) | 198 | (6.4) | 186 | (4.7) | 177 | (2.5) | 173 | (3.9) |
(1) 1996-97 and 1995-96 figures take account of rebates provided by certain water and sewerage companies.
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Environment Protection Strategy and Europe Division
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the budget of the environment protection strategy and Europe division of his Department for the 1995-96 financial year. [25621]
Mr. Clappison: The division was established on 1 November 1995. It took on most of the work of what was the environment protection central division, EPC, and part of the work of what was the environment protection Europe division, EPEUR. It is not possible to separate the costs of those parts of EPC and EPEUR which are relevant to the work of the new division. For this reason, an expenditure figure for 1995-96 is not readily available. However, the 1996-97 budget for the net administrative expenditure of the division is £1,075,330.
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Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are employed within the environment protection strategy and Europe division of his Department. [25625]
Mr. Clappison: The staff in post on 1 April 1996 within the environment protection strategy and Europe division was 27.
County Museum Collections
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure the continued effectiveness of county museum collections affected by the local government review in the situations of (a) abolished authorities and (b) relinquished authorities. [25554]
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Sir Paul Beresford: How best to provide services for museum and records services is a matter for the authorities concerned. However, following discussions with the Museums and Galleries Commission, the Department of National Heritage has issued guidance on the provision of suitable museum services to all authorities involved in reorganisation.
Waste Incinerators (Fires)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to conduct research into the environmental impact of fires at waste incinerators. [25923]
Mr. Clappison: I have no plans to conduct research into this matter.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to issue guidelines concerning fires at waste incinerators. [25924]
Mr. Clappison: I have no plans to issue guidelines on this matter.
Housing Associations
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) minutes of meetings, (d) agendas of meetings and (e) registers of members' interests are published by registered housing associations; and if in each case it is under a statutory requirement. [25966]
Mr. Clappison: Registered housing associations are required by statute to provide a copy of their audited annual accounts to the Housing Corporation which holds them available for inspection. All other requirements are non-statutory. The main ones are:
The tenants guarantee which requires associations to keep their tenants informed about their housing management performance.
Housing Corporation programme performance standards under which associations are required to conduct their affairs in an open and accountable way, disseminating widely information about their housing provision and activities.
The National Federation of Housing Association's code of governance which requires board members to declare conflicts of interest and associations to maintain records of interests of board members and senior staff and to make them available for public inspection.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Life Sentence Prisoners
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences were released (a) when their tariff was reached, (b) up to and including 12 months after tariff, (c) up to and including 24 months after tariff and (d) longer than 24 months after tariff during each year since 1990. [25200]
Miss Widdecombe: Information in the form requested is not recorded centrally. Figures for all the years from 1990 to 1994 are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, a special exercise conducted in 1993 showed
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that in regard to all life sentence prisoners first released on licence in 1992, 9 per cent. were released before, on, or within one month after, expiry of tariff and 36 per cent. were released before, on, or within 12 months of tariff.
| Time of release in relation to tariff expiry | Number and percentage |
|---|---|
| Before, on, or within one month of tariff expiry | 8 (13 per cent.) |
| 1-12 months after tariff expiry | 23 (38 per cent.) |
| 13-24 months after tariff expiry | 3 (5 per cent.) |
| Over 2 years after tariff expiry | 26 (43 per cent.) |
| Total | 60 |
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